Means for ornamenting elongated objects



II, mH n W m 3m x ,5 Z D U M H m L J C B O D m 1 Hw TL. IE3 M SN e Fm WM i mF R O S N A E .M 1 1 4 9 I Q u 3 m e s E (Ittorneg S Patented Sept. 30, 1941 MEANS FOR ORNAMENTING ELONGATED OBJECTS Claude F. Smith, Marston, N. 0.

Application February 3, 1941, Serial No. 377,166

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved means for placing ornamental designs on elongated objects, such as broom handles, chair posts, curtain rods, =moldings and the like wherein the object is first immersed in paint or other suitable coating and then passed through an opening having a toothed periphery. The coating material is removed from the areas engaged by the teeth, thus leaving. the material on the adjacentareas which are not engaged.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an ornamenting device for wiping portionS of wet coating from certain areas of objects such as broom handles and the like so that there will be a color contrast between the wiped and unwiped areas. The disclosed device comprises a flat piece of resilient material having a hole cut therein, through which the painted article is drawn. The hole is preferably smaller than the cross-sectional area of the article and has radially disposed slits communicating therewith, the depth of the slits being less than the thickness of the material. When the article is inserted through the hole from the slitted side, the hole is expanded a greater amount at the slits, thereby forming teeth at the intermediate point. The teeth engage the article to serve as wipers and at the same time hold the sides of thefhole at the slits out of engagement with the article.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is an isometric view illustrating an apparatus for decorating articles such as broom handles, and the like;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional View taken along the line 22 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional plan view taken along the line 3-3 in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an exploded isometric view showing the manner of mounting a flexible wiping member which removes the decorative material from spaced paths on the surface of an article thereby forming stripes;

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line 5-5 in Figure 4;

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the r in bracket ll.

holes ll disposed therein adjacent the larger hole IS. A flat resilient member I8, made of rubber or the like is adapted to be placed over the hole 16. This member It has a hole [9 therein, said .hole having a plurality of radially disposed slits 29 communicating therewith, the depth of each slit 2! being somewhat less than the thickness of the member l8 at the periphery of the hole l9 and gradually diminishing in depth as they extend away from the hole H! (see Figure 5).

When the member 18 is placed over the hole ll it is positioned so that the center line of hole I9 is substantially in alinement with the center line of hole [6. Then another plate member is placed ontop of the member l8 in such a position that the ends thereof will extend beyond the ends of the member l8. This plate member 25 has a hole 26 therein substantially the same size as the hole l6, previously described, Also disposed in plate member 25 are suitable smaller holes 21 which are adapted to coincide with holes I! in plate member IS. The holes I! and 21 are penetrated by bolts or other suitable fastening means 28 when it is desired to clamp the parts together in the position shown in Figures 1 and 2.

It should be noted that the plate member l5 and its associated parts may be rotated about the pivot point ld-if desired. In the drawings, the plate member I5 is shown in bold line position which is the position it occupies during normal operation, and also in a dotted line position, which latter position is occupied at other times.

During the normal operation of the apparatus, a suitable elongated open-ended container 30 is disposed directly beneath the openings 26, I9 and I6. This container is adapted to have a suitable decorative material such as paint 3| therein. If desired, the container 30 may be secured on the interior of a larger container such as a barrel 32 which in the present instance serves to hold painted or striped broom handles 34.

When decorating broom handles or other articles 34 it is necessary to first insert the lower end of the handle downwardly through opening I9 and immerse the lower portion thereof in the paint 3! which is disposed in container 30. Then the handle 34 is moved upwardly at which time the surrounding contacting portions of the hole I9 will engage the periphery of the handle and serve as a wiping and striping device.

It is essential that the hole l9 be similar in shape but smaller in diameter than the broom handle 34. It is also essential that the member l8 be made of suitable resilient material such as rubber which will readily stretch. When the broom handle 34 is moved upwardly, the rubber adjacent the periphery of the hole will be stretched thereby forming teeth 31 which contact the periphery of the broom handle at spaced points. The reason that teeth 3'! are formed is due to the fact that the slits 20 are provided in the lower suriace of the member 18. These slits cause rubber adjacent the edge of the hole is to stretch more at the points where the slits merge with the hole than at the intermediate points; consequently, the thicker portions of rubber adjacent the edge of the hole will be held against the periphery of the handle and the thinner'portions of the sheet l8 will be in a nonengaging position. In Figure 2, it is seen that the portion of the broom handle 34, which is disposed below member l8, has a solid coating 39 but after this coated periphery has passed upwardly through the opening l9, the teeth 31 will remove the paint along spaced paths thereby forming stripes 40 which have no paint or decorating material thereon, but at the same time leaving painted stripes 4| along paths which are not engaged by the teeth. Also if desired, as the handle is moved upwardly, it may be rotated axially in order to provide a curved or sinuous stripe.

By cutting the slits of gradually diminishing depth, V-shaped cavities will appear where the slits are when an elongated object is being passed through the opening I9.

. Although I have shown an object circular in cross section being decorated, it is obvious that any elongated object may be so treated regardless of, its cross sectional shape, so long as hole I9 is shaped to conform to the cross sectional area of the object being decorated.

In the drawing and specification, there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, and not for purposes of limitation, the scope ofthe invention being set ,forth in the following claims.

I claim: v

1. Apparatus for decorating the surface of wetpainted articles such as broom handles and the like, comprising a flat resilient wiper having an opening therein, said opening being smaller in size than the cross-section of the article, said opening having a plurality of radial slits communicating therewith which are cut to a depth which is less than the thickness of the wiper, whereby teeth will be formed between the slits when the article is inserted in the opening enlarging the same and whereby the portion betweenthe teeth will be stretched to hold it in spaced relation to the surface of the article.

2. Apparatus for decorating the surface of wetpainted articles such as broom handles and the like, comprising a fiat resilient wiper having an opening therein, said opening being similar in shape and smaller in size than the cross-section of the article, said opening having a plurality of outwardly diverging slits communicating therewith, the depth of said slits being less than the thickness of the wiper, whereby teeth will be formed between the slits when the article is inserted in the opening and whereby the portions of the opening between the teeth will be held in spaced relation to the surface of the article.

3. Apparatus for forming stripes on an elongated object which has previously been coated with a suitable coating of undried material, which comprises a flexible member having an opening therein with a plurality of radial slits emanating from the periphery of said opening the depth .of the slits being less than the thickness of the flexible member, and the opening normally being of a size smaller than the elongated object so that when the elongated object is drawn through the opening the slitted portions will be removed out of contact'with the material and the portions between the slits will remove the undried ma-;

terial from the object to form stripesirom the coating material.

4. Apparatus'for removing portions of a coat of paint and the like from an elongated object to form stripes, comprising a flexible and stretchable member having an opening therein of smaller diameter than the diameter of the object, the

flexible member having slits therein extending radially from the edge of the opening, and diminishing in depth as they extend away from the opening. V CLAUDE F. SMITH. 

